


Stay

by liz_mo



Series: You and Joe? Yeah, right. [3]
Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-16 01:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/855987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liz_mo/pseuds/liz_mo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Methos's plans backfired...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [genteelrebel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/genteelrebel/gifts).



  
"You and Joe make a great couple and you look as if this'll last a long time. So I wish you both all the happiness one can get."

  
Methos gaped.

  
Duncan gave a tight smile.

  
"What? You'd rather have me say: ‘You and Joe? Hahaha! Yeah, right.'? What kind of friend would do that?"

  
Methos swallowed. What was he supposed to say to that?

  
He'd screwed everything up. Friendships, love and potential partner.

Refusing to cry in front of Duncan and Joe, he turned on his heel and strode out, snatching his coat from the rack on the way to the elevator.

  
He didn't get far, before the despair overwhelmed him. He sat down on a low wall, a couple of blocks from the dojo and dropped his head in his hands.

  
Why, why, why did his mind come up with such stupid plans?

The idea of pretending to have a relationship with Joe to goad Duncan into FINALLY giving at least a SIGN of where his endless flirtation was leading had backfired spectacularly.

  
Now the noble Highlander was doing the ‘right' thing and backing off. Or maybe he didn't know he was flirting so outrageously?

And Joe was mad at him too. Methos had to bring up all his persuasive powers to get Joe to go along. And then Methos was sure that Joe had only agreed to have his own curiosity regarding Duncan's sexuality satisfied.

  
Suddenly the tell-tale signature of a quickening zig-zagged across his frayed nerves and for a moment he couldn't bring himself to move. Then he knew it was Duncan and his shoulders sagged in relief.

  
Methos raised his head and looked right at the Highlander, who was standing a few paces away. Duncan's features were unreadable.

  
"Methos," Duncan said with things in his voice that Methos was too tired to decipher.

  
He dropped his head again, knowing he should get up, say something snarky and hide in some forsaken country for the next century or two.

But he just didn't have the energy.

A touch to his head roused him.

Someone was stroking his hair.

DUNCAN was stroking his hair.

  
"Come home, Methos," Duncan said and Methos let himself be pulled up, along inside the building, up the elevator and into the loft.

  
He came back to himself, when he was pushed onto a comfortable sofa and something hot was pressed into his hands.

Methos looked up and saw Joe looking at him with a weird expression on his face.

He took a sip from the cup, then his eyes turned to the man squatting in front of him.

Duncan was wearing a bemused look on his face and smiling slightly.

Methos, equilibrium a little bit restored, dared to raise an eyebrow.

  
"So, using Joe in trying to make me jealous, huh?" Duncan asked. "No, I figured that out for myself," he added as Methos' gaze flicked to Joe.

  
"Well, it didn't work," Duncan continued as Methos said nothing.

  
'Then what am I doing here?' Methos thought flatly.

Although he seemed to have said that out loud, judging from the somewhat shocked expressions on the other men's faces.

  
"Oh, Methos," Duncan sighed, took the cup from Methos' unresisting hands, set it aside, stood up, pulled Methos up and then Methos was enfolded in warm arms and kissed thoroughly.

  
"You stupid idiot," Duncan said softly as he stopped kissing him for a short while.

"It didn't work, because I knew I had no reason to be jealous of Joe. Right, Joe?"

  
The other man nodded gruffly and started to make his way towards the elevator.

But Methos finally, finally understood and cast a quick glance at Duncan who smiled happily and nodded.

Methos stopped Joe with a hand on the other man's arm.

  
"Stay."

  


* * *

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
This story archived at <http://www.squidge.org/peja/cgi-bin/viewstory.php?sid=37341>


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